The NFL celebrated the end of the career of defensive end, DeMarcus Ware.

Ware ended his career with the eighth most career sacks all time. He played for two franchises during his NFL career: the legendary Dallas Cowboys franchise, for whom he is the all time sacks leader with 117, and the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl L. Ware was part of a vaunted Broncos free agent class of 2014 that boasted four Pro Bowlers. Broncos general manager, John Elway, congratulated Ware for his service to the Broncos.

“DeMarcus – you are the epitome of what an NFL player should be. Congrats on your Hall of Fame career & thank you for becoming a Bronco!” tweeted Elway.

Peyton Manning, who quarterbacked the Broncos to the Super Bowl L victory, also added his congratulations.

“DeMarcus Ware is not only a Hall of Fame player, but a Hall of Fame teammate as well. I played against DeMarcus and played with him. It was an honor and a privilege to have done both. Being a teammate with DeMarcus and being a captain of the team was a real privilege for me,” said Manning.

Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, lauded Ware for his play as a Cowboy.

“He was one of the most dominant NFL players at his position in his era, and he was one of the most dynamic players in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. We wish nothing but the best for DeMarcus and his family, and we appreciate and respect his contributions to the NFL and to our team,” read a statement released by Jones.